My August 2025 best business reads roundup
🎧 Best Podcasts – not just reads, surprise!
The UX of AI – Hosted by Matt Chmiel, ON_Discourse
I listened to an unusual amount of podcasts this August while traveling. This is the one I paused the most to take notes — it helped me connect the dots like no other.
If that title doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will. I’m already on my 3rd listen.
/ Product, AI & Strategy
What If AI Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This – Cal Newport, The New Yorker
Don’t underestimate this provocative take. We’re starting to talk about new ChatGPT models like we do about the iPhone 16 — not as generation-defining tech.
If you’re working in e-commerce and read just one thing this week — make it this one.
Build vs Buy in the Age of AI – Marty Cagan, SVPG
A classic dilemma reimagined for the AI era by the godfather of modern tech product management.
A great read for PMs building AI features.
D2D Cont’d: Intel and the Foundry State – Digits to Dollars
The painful downfall of Intel was one of the top tech stories this month. This piece breaks down what it means for the future of chip manufacturing.
/ Work & Digital Life
AI Won’t Kill UX. We Will – Kym Primrose, UX Collective
Designers themselves may be undermining UX more than AI ever could.
The Biggest Trend in Social Is Saving, Not Sharing – Cole Farrar, Kettle
Very smart angle. I'd just challenge the framing of Strava as a ‘low-pressure’ space, but that’s beside the point.
Bonus read:
What My Daughter Told ChatGPT Before She Took Her Life – Laura Reiley, The New York Times
I know — it feels like you’ve seen this headline before. But this time, it’s different.
(Photo of the Month: Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn lined up in the night sky on August 28th, forming the so-called “planet parade.” A cosmic reminder of our place in the universe)
Source: Manusia dan Langit (the picture is from the previous line up, btw)
Originally shared as a LinkedIn post. Check it out here.
